Shattered Dreams
by ilovequinn11
Summary: Life rarely goes as you want or expect it to. You've just got to go with the flow.
1. Chapter 1

What happens when you dreams don't come true?

What happens when not only do your dreams not come true, but the complete opposite of what you wanted for yourself in life is YOUR life?

This applies to both one young Quinn Fabray and one Rachel Berry.

Rachel had always dreamed about being on Broadway. She had taken class after class to prepare herself for it. Dance (ballet, tap, modern, acrobatic, you name it,) singing classes, music theater classes, stage presence classes, class classes. She had starred in every single community theater musical that had been put on in the community center as the leading role, never giving anyone else a chance at the spotlight. Rachel had wasted away her childhood to pursue her dream, had spent her summer days in the dance studio, perfecting her ballet positions instead of lazily swinging on the swingset in her backyard. She was so driven and motivated, her classmates thought her weird and a freak, and completely shunned her. By the time she was in fourth grade, she found herself friendless.

Of course, back in kindergarten, Rachel was really popular. All the other kids thought her really funny and nice. However, over the years, the kids slowly began to leave her side, until, in the middle of third grade, she only had one friend.

Her name was Quinn Fabray.

However, Quinn got frusturated that Rachel never wanted to do anything she wanted to do, instead preferring to practice the arts instead. Of course, Quinn loved to sing and dance, and was almost as talented as Rachel in that area, but she wanted to play games, such as tag and house, with the other neighborhood children too. So, during the summer between third and fourth grade, Quinn left Rachel too. Rachel sobbed in her dads' arms that night, and they told her that Quinn and the other kids were just jealous of Rachel's talents, and told her to just ignore them.

And from then on, Rachel was even more determined on her career, if that was possible.

Quinn had always dreamed of the perfect life that she would have. She was captain of the Cheerios to please herself, and she was president of the Celibacy Club to please her parents. She was the prettiest, most popular girl in school, and she was dating Finn Hudson, the quarterback of the football team. She had big plans for her future. She was going to go to Harvard University for college. She was going to study to be a lawyer. She'd get a good lawyer job that paid a lot, and she would win every case. She would marry a good looking man that loved her a lot, a brain surgeon, perhaps, or an award winning author. They would have a huge wedding in a nice church. There would be white roses everywhere, and Quinn's white wedding dress would be made of the finest, most expensive silk. There would be over five thousand guests, most of them famous and rich people. Quinn would lose her virginity on her wedding night, and she would quickly become pregnant with a son. After the birth of her son, she would quickly bounce back to her pre-pregnancy weight. She would also get pregnant again with a daughter, and once again, she wouldn't be fat for very long after giving birth. She would live in a big house, with her children, husband, and faithful border collie. Both of her children would be blond and extremely well behaved. Her children would grow up, and give her grandchildren, many grandchildren, each being cuter than the next. Finally, at a ripe old age Quinn would die, and in the local cemetery, her grief stricken children would erect a monument to her, reaching up to the sky, made of pearl, going on and on about how she was the greatest person to ever live.

However, life rarely goes as people plan it to.

It's just a fact.

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	2. Chapter 2

Rachel bustled around the crowded diner, refilling drinks, getting food for people, and taking orders. The lunch shift was always crazy busy, with Rachel hardly having time to breath. She ducked into the bathroom real quick. She ran her fingers through her hair, which was sticking up, and adjusted the black apron she was wearing, before she headed back out, groaning as the door opened once more and a whole new crowd of people came in.

Rachel had made it to New York, all right, but she wasn't on Broadway. She had tried and tried to get noticed, whether that meant being a model, starring in a commercial, being on a reality show, being on the hottest new TV show, being a star on Broadway, becoming the next big pop star, she even tried becoming an extra! However, she was always rejected. So now, instead of living in a huge condo, she lived in a small ass apartment, and she had a pretty random schedule, taking shifts at the diner whenever they needed her, and teaching singing and dancing classes to little girls. While she enjoyed teaching the kids, she wanted to be on stage herself. She didn't want to be a choreographer and director, she wanted to be a star! What was the fun of being behind the scenes? You didn't get any recognition, like the people on stage did.

Rachel headed to a table where two people sat. One was a beautiful woman, blond hair and hazel eyes, a perfectly white smile on her face. The other must have been the woman's daughter. She was the cutest thing ever, and looked exactly like her mother.

"Hello, can I start you off with something to drink?" Rachel asked, and just then, the woman turned her head and looked at Rachel, one eyebrow raised, and Rachel had deja vu. She had seen that eyebrow raise and beautiful face before, but many years ago, when the woman had been much younger. "Quinn Fabray, is that you?" Rachel gasped.

"Yes," Quinn replied. Rachel looked from Quinn to the little girl. "So this must be..."

"Yes, this is Beth." Quinn seemed cold, as if she did not want to talk to Rachel.

"Wow, it's been such a long time. I haven't seen you since..."

"Yes, yes, I know."

"Well, what are you doing in New York?"

"I'm a tumbling coach for girls Beth's age," she replied coolly. "What about you?" Quinn looked around. "What are you doing... here?"

"Well, I didn't exactly make it onto Broadway. I work here now, as well as teaching dance and singing for little girls at Anna's Arts Academy."

"Well, that's nice."

"Yes. Would you like to maybe get together sometime?"

"That might happen." The two exchanged phone numbers and addresses. Rachel took their orders, and then hurried off.

"I'm sorry it's so messy," Quinn said to Rachel, shooting a mock glare at her daughter. "Someone forgot to clean up their toys this morning."

"I don't like cleaning up, Mommy!"

"Well, it's something you have to do. The house doesn't look pretty when you don't clean up after yourself."

Beth pouted. "It's all right," Rachel replied. "I don't mind." She looked around. The apartment was awfully small and cramped. She couldn't help but feel sorry for Quinn, even though Rachel had a pretty crappy life right now too.

"Do you like mac 'n cheese?" Quinn asked. "I'm sorry I couldn't get some more grown up food. I tried to convince Beth to eat something else for a day, but she wouldn't budge."

"Yes, that's fine." It had been such a long time since Rachel had had mac 'n cheese, but she didn't bring it up to Quinn, for fear of hurting her feelings.

"Alright." Beth came running up to Rachel all of a sudden. "Aunt Rachel, Aunt Rachel!" she called. "Look at what we got at the store today!" Beth held up a box. It was a jigsaw puzzle of Ariel and her sisters from The Little Mermaid.

"Awesome, kiddo." Rachel smiled.

Pretty soon, the three were seated at the table and had begun to eat. "So, where's Noah?" Rachel asked. "I thought you guys made the decision to raise Beth together, and started going out after she was born?"

Quinn looked down, tears rushing to her eyes. However, she refused to cry. She refused to look weak in front of Rachel. Rachel had already seen her been so weak while they were in high school. "He left me," Quinn said. "In the summer after senior year." Quinn had gone into shock when Puck had left her and two year old Beth. "He couldn't handle it anymore, couldn't handle being a father. He said he felt caged, trapped because of Beth and me."

"Do you know where he is now?"

"Someplace in Canada. He was discovered as being really talented, and he's up there training now to be some sort of big pop star. Kind of like Justin Bieber." She shook her head. "However, when he left I went to the court, and now he's forced to pay me child support every two weeks."

"I'm really sorry, Quinn."

The blond girl shrugged. "It's not your fault I was a stupid and naive bitch at sixteen who trusted Puck. You have nothing to do with my situation."

"I know, but it still sucks."

Quinn shrugged. "Mommy, I'm finished!" Beth piped up.

"All right, sweetie. Do you want some Oreos?" she asked her daughter.

"Yes, Mommy!" Beth squealed.

"All right." Quinn smiled. "Do you want some, Rachel?"

"No, I'm good, I actually have to go now, I'm teaching a 3 and 4 year old tap class in an hour, and I have to go home and get changed and everything."

"Alright, well, I hope we can stay in touch."

"Of course, sure. See you guys later."

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